The Alpha's Soul

11

"Luke, look!" the Omega cried out in glee, pointing at the black-eyed susan flowers growing in front of his home. "You said haven't grown in years!"

Luke smiled at the Omega. "They haven't," he said, looking at the tiny yellow flowers. "Do you like them?"

"Yes!" he exclaimed. "When I turn eighteen and we can officially be mates we can plant more."

No part of Luke wanted to tell the poor Omega that they weren't mates. He knew how reliant the little Omega was on him; hell, he was living with Luke so he could be away from the Omega house while he was raising his three daughters and away from the resentful eye of the disgusting Alpha that raped him.

Luke was terrified that the Omega would do something drastic because he had often made impulsive decisions when he was upset or panicked. He'd begged Luke to get rid of his daughters when they were first born, but Luke refused, promising that things would get better.

"When are we going to kiss for the first time?" the Omega asked, leaning into Luke's side.

Luke shook his head. "We're not going to until you're an adult, little one," he said in a tight voice. "Come on, let's go inside and check on your pups."

The Omega looked up at Luke with adoration. "They're both of our pups, Luke. We're meant to be together," he said in a gentle voice, lacing their fingers together. "Aren't we?"

Luke sighed, not saying anything in response.
"Come on, let's go inside little one," he said, guilt and pain pooling in his gut. "You need to stock up in your room, lock the door, and keep away from me. I start my rut soon."

The Omega frowned. "I can help you through it! It's going to happen eventually anyway, isn't it?"

Luke shook his head. "You need to be with your pups. I'll be okay, don't worry."

He hated that he couldn't be straightforward with the poor Omega. He knew he'd be able to hold back his rut-induced sex craze because the Omega wasn't his.

All he wanted was his true mate.

•••

"Luke, you've been staring at that plant for about twenty minutes," Tan said, sitting beside Luke in the grass. "What's wrong?"

Sighing, Luke turned away from the black-eyed susan. "Nothing," he said, standing up. "I think we should talk to Calix about that pool he wanted to put in so we can start as soon as fall and winter end."

"Sounds good," Tan agreed, leaning against Luke. "I guess Payton will be moving out to Calix's brother's pack and then head East with his nieces to where the humans are."

"You know they're not actually human, right?"

"They basically are," Tan responded. "They don't live in packs and their status doesn't really matter from what I heard. And I guess they don't shift all that much either."

Luke decided to just agree with him because he didn't know much about Eastern culture either. "So they're leaving pack life behind?" he asked, rubbing Tan's back and touching his neck. "Would you ever do that?"

Tan shrugged. "I didn't grow up in a pack that would make me want to," he said, closing his eyes when Luke increased the pressure on his neck and made him feel vulnerable but safe at the same time. "I like being able to rely on my pack. Over there they have to count on themselves and they don't even talk with their wolves if they've been raised there!"